A DOZEN people within the Church of England (CofE) are undergoing a disciplinary process related to serial abuser John Smyth, former archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said today.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Welby expressed a “deep sense of personal failure” over the handling of allegations against Mr Smyth, but also forgives the most prolific abuser associated with the church.

Asked how many people in the CofE had known about the abuse, the former primate said: “What I know is that the national safeguarding team about three weeks ago issued a statement, which you probably saw, which said that there were […] roughly a dozen being taken [through] the disciplinary process.

“A lot have died, but there are a dozen going through a [clerical disciplinary measure], and, incidentally, at that time, they said they hadn’t discovered anything that I’d done or not done, omitted to do, which would warrant [one for myself].

“I still feel responsible, but that’s a different question.”

Mr Welby resigned in November and stepped down officially in January, but initially declined to quit last year.

The Makin report, which investigated the abuse, found that Mr Welby failed to follow up reports on the Christian camp leader and barrister, and did not refer allegations to the police in 2013.

It said Mr Smyth, who died in 2018, might have been brought to justice had Mr Welby formally reported allegations to police.

Mr Welby said: “What changed my mind was having been caught by the report being leaked and not really thought it through enough, to be honest.”

Mr Smyth is said to have abused as many as 130 boys and young men over five decades in Britain and Africa.